Two-lead strip cable and sliding connector therefor



THEREFOR L. WOLF Aug. 18, 1970 TWO-LEAD STRIP CABLE AND SLIDING CONNECTOR Filed June '7, 1968 .31 AOHES/V' STRIP .8 09211022 9% awfo w 3,524,921 TWO-LEAD STRIP CABLE AND SLIDING CONNECTOR THEREFOR Leo Wolf, 5701 Sheridan Road, Chicago, 111. 60626 Filed June 7, 1968, Ser. No. 735,280 Int. Cl. H01b 7/08 US. Cl. 174-70 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical cable for attachment to an exterior surface and concealable therewith by painting or papering includes a thin, flat tape having one side coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive and the other side having a paintable surface. First and second continuous, thin, flat metalfoil conductors are secured to and extend longitudinally of the adhesive-coated side of the tape. The conducting strips are separated from each other and laterally spaced inward of the edges of the tape to define three parallel bands of exposed adhesive-coated tape for securing the same to a surface. A release strip is attached to the ex posed adhesive-coated bands of the tape when packaged. A connector for the strip cable includes a stiff contact board with first and second elongated strip contacts of similar width as the conductors on the tape and spaced to register with them. A conventional two-wire conduit may have one wire attached, soldered, or welded to each of the contacts of the connector; and a receptacle is formed for slidably receiving the contact board by securing flaps cut from the tape to the back of a rigid board having a width at least as great as the contact board.

BACKGROUND The present invention relates to electrical conductors; more particularly, it relates to a two-lead electrical strip cable and a sliding connector for it.

Electrical strip cables are known in which a thin, fiat conductor is attached to a pressure-sensitive tape for insulating the conductor. However, existing constructions are not particularly suited for use in providing a connection to a wall fixture, such as the type as may be used to illuminate a painting, a sconce, etc. from a low voltage source. Heretofore, such strip conductors have tended to be relatively thick so that they are not capable of being concealed by merely painting the surface. Further, the exterior surface of known strip conductors have not been particularly adapted to receive a coating of paint. Typically, these conductors provide two adhesive-coated strips of tape with an electrical conductor sandwiched between them.

For this type of strip conductor, since the adhesive is provided on both sides, when the tape is Wound in a roll, one surface of adhesive sticks to the exterior surface of the covering layer. Thus, it has been conventional to treat the exterior surface of the covering layer to reduce adhesion of the base layer to it. This treated surface is, of course, the same surface which the present invention contemplates painting; hence, this treating is undesirable. The double layer of adhesive tape provides a double thickness of the marginal edges of the tape after it is applied thereby making it difficult to conceal by painting alone.

Another problem with known strip conductors, and one which is significant in the preferred application of the present invention is that, heretofore, there has been no reliable and economical means for removably coupling to the strip conductor. This is required, for instance, if a lighting fixture must be replaced or repaired.

United States Patent "ice SUMMARY The present invention contemplates applying only a single layer of adhesive-coated, pressure-sensitive tape to a wall area. First and second strip conductors of metal foil are secured to the adhesive-coated side of the tape; and they are spaced from one another and from the edge of the tape to define three longitudinally-extending bands of adhesive-coated surface for sticking to the wall. Further, the exterior surface of the tape is of a texture which readily receives paint; and a release strip is provided for covering the exposed adhesive-coated bands during shipment thereby obviating the need to further treat the surface.

As will be clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, the present invention permits easy splicing of the tape; and it facilitates placement of the tape on surfaces wherein bending or turning of the tape is required in order to reach the object to which power is to be supplied.

A connector is provided for coupling the strip cable to a conventional two-wire conduit system. The connector includes a separate flat contact board having first and second flat strip conductors in register with the conductors of the strip cable; and the two conventional wires are soldered respectively to these strip conductors. A rigid insulating support board is used to form a pocket with the strip cable by cutting flaps in the exposed adhesivecoated bands thereon and securing these flaps about the support board. The wrapped-around flaps are then sealed with an additional adhesive-coated member; and the pocket thus formed provides a removable sliding receptacle for the contact board.

Other features and advantages of the instant invention will be obvious to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred usage for the strip cable and connector of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inventive strip cable;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the sight line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates the inventive connector and its coupling with the strip cable of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A illustrates one method of making a rightangle turn with the strip cable;

FIG. 5 is a section view of the connectormnd FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate ways to bridge across discontinuities in the strip cable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIG. 1, there is seen a conventional double-outlet receptacle generally designated 10 and located at the base of a wall 11. A plug 12 is fitted into one of the receptacles of the outlet 10; and a conventional two-Wire conductor 13 is coupled to the plug 12 through a conventional step down transformer T having an output voltage of twelve volts. A connector (to be described in greater detail within) couples the conductor 13 to a twolead strip cable generally designated 14 which is adhesively fastened to the Wall 11 and runs up to a source of light 15 which illuminates a picture 16. Typically, the source 15 will have a two-wire conductor such as the conductor 13; and a connector must also be used to couple the strip cable 14 to the hidden wires of the source 15.

As shown in FIG. 1 the flat strip cable 14 is not painted. However, the outer surface of the strip 14 is of a texture which readily receives paint; and, hence, the entire strip 14 can be masked or hidden by simply covering it by painting the wall 11.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is seen a two-lead strip cable according to the present invention having a cover strip 20 of flexible sheet material which may be any known insulating sheet material known to the art such as paper, fabric, or plastic sheet material provided however, that the exterior surface (i.e. the surface 21) is of such a texture or material that it may be painted with conventional interior wall paint so that the entire strip cable may be hidden from view when secured to a wall.

The underside of the cover strip 20 is provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive 22. First and second continuous metal foil leads 23 and 24 extend longitudinally of the cover strip 20; and they are fastened to the pressure-sensitive adhesive 22 as illustrated. The leads 23 and 24 are preferably about A; in. wide; and they are located interior of the marginal edges of the cover strip 20 to as to define three longitudinally-extending, adhesivecoated contact bands 25, 26, and 27. The two marginal contact bands 25 and 27 are of approximately the same area as one of the conductors. The overall surface-contacting area of the combined bands 25, 26, and 27 should preferably be at least 50% greater than the total surface area of the strips 23 and 24. Thus, in one embodiment in which the strips 23 and 24 are each M; in. wide, the width of the cover strip 20 is about /5 in.

A release strip 29, which may be of treated material or cellulose so as to easily be separated from the cover strip 20, is secured to the exposed adhesive-coating on the two-lead strip cable. Since the surface 21 is of a texture for readily receiving paint, the release strip 29 is particularly advantageous when the two-lead conductor strip is supplied in a roll. As seen in FIG. 3, the width of the release strip 29 is wider than the cover strip 20.

It has been found that this two-lead strip cable may be reliably secured to a wall without the need of an additional fastening material strip, or adhesive as included in prior construction. With the three contact bands 25, 26 and 27 having a total contact area at least about 50% greater than the area of the metal leads, when the release paper 29 is removed from the package, the two-lead strip paired as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 either by folding the strip back on itself and pressing the folded area over the continuity as illustrated in FIG. 7; or by cutting the portion of the cable having the discontinuity providing a connector portion, generally designated 30 in FIG. 6 which is then bonded to the two severed portions of the main cable, designated 31 and 32 with their exposed adhesive portion engaging one another as illustrated.

Another advantage of the present construction with the advantageous spacing of the conductors as described above, is that the making of a right-angle turn is facilitated as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 4A in sequence. For example, if a strip 35 has been secured to a Wall surface (with conductors 36 and 37 shown in phantom) and it is desired to make a right-angle turn in a downward direction (as seen in FIG. 4) relative to this layed strip, first, a diagonal cut is made across the strip 35 as generally designated by reference numeral 39. Next, a right-angle cut is made in a splicing strip 40; and this cut severs one conductor, designated by reference numeral 42. The strips 35 and 40 are then placed at right angles as illustrated with adhesive-to-adhesive so that the foil 41 of strip 40 engages the underside of the foil 36 of the strip 35; and the foil 42 of the strip 40 engages the foil 37 of 4 strip 35. Next, the strip 40 is folded down as illustrated in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 4A. In FIG. 4A, the strip 40 is folded behind the coupling portion; however, it is obvious that it may as easily be folded over the same and thereby completely cover the metal foil.

As also shown in FIG. 4, there are first and second connectors, generally designated 44 and 45, each coupling one end of the strips 35 and 40 respectively to conventional two-wire conductors. For brevity, only the connector 44 will be described in greater detail. The conventional conductor is generally designated 46; and it has first and second insulated wire conductors 47 and 48. A flat, vinyl rigid contact board 49 having a width approximately equal to the width defined by the conductors 36 and 37 of the strip cable 35 is provided with first and second elongated contacts 50 and 51. The contacts 50 and 51 are similar to the conductors 36 and 37. They are arranged on the insulating contact board 49 in register respectively with the conductors 36 and 37, as illustrated in cross section view in FIG. 5.

A receptacle is formed for slidably receiving the contact board 49 without danger of short-circuiting the wires of the strip cable by providing a rigid support board 54 similar to the contact board 49 but preferably more rigid since it provides a wall structure for the receptacle. The support board 54 has a width slightly larger then the width defined by the conductors 36 and 37 as located on the two-lead strip cable 35. Referring to FIG. 4, after the contact board 49 together with its contacts 51 and 50 are placed against their associated strip conductors 36 and 37 and the support board 54 is placed against the back of the contact board 49, transverse cuts (see 55 and 56 in FIG. 4) are made in the marginal bands of the cable 35. Each of the cuts 55 and 56 terminates short of the conductor strips 36 and 37 respectively; and flaps 59 and 60 are provided by these cuts. The flaps 59 and 60 are then bent around and fastened to the back of the stiff plastic support board 54 as in FIG. 5. Finally an adhesively coated strip 62 is secured thereto.

Thus, there is formed a removable connector wherein the terminal board 49 may be repeatedly removed from a pocket or receptacle formed by the strip cable 35 and the support board 54.

Having thus described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that certain modifications and structural changes may be made without departing from the principle thereof; and it is, therefore, intended that all such modifications and substitutions be covered as they are embraced within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical strip cable comprising a continuous cover strip of flexible insulating material having a first surface adapted to receive paint and a second surface coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive, first and second continuous metal foil conductors bonded to the adhesivecoated side of said cover strip and extending longitudinally thereof and spaced from each other and from the edges of said cover strip to provide three contact bands for securing said strip cable to a surface, and a pocket receptacle at one end of said strip cable including a fiat, rigid, elongated support member having the width slightly larger than the width defined by said first and second conductors on said strip cable and spaced from said conductors to define a pocket, and means for sealing the longitudinal edges of said support member integral with said strip cable and outboard of said foil conductors.

2. In combination with the cable of claim 1, a removable connector for releasably and slidably fitting into said pocket and for coupling said strip cable to a conventional two-wire conductor comprising an elongated contact board of insulating material having a width only slightly less than the width defined by said pocket, and first and second elongated foil sheet contacts secured to said contact board in lateral registration with said first and second conduc- 5 6 tors of said strip cable, said wire conductors being con- FOREIGN PATENTS nected respectively to said contacts whereby said contacts 850 915 8/1939 France may be placed in coextensive engagement with said first 198739 1/1923 Great l'gritain and second foil conductors and slidably moved therealong.

References Cited 5 ELLIOT A. GOLDBERG, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS US. Cl. X.R.

3,132,204 5/1964 Giellerup. 174117; 339-17, 21 

